O'Connor Music Studio Blog

Piano Puzzlers!

The Piano Puzzlers book is available in the O’Connor Music Studio library if you’d like to give any a try. Piano Puzzlers as heard on American Public Media’s “Performance Today.” Includes 32 tunes with songs by Gershwin, Berlin, Arlen, Porter, Rodgers, Fats Waller, Lennon & McCartney, and others disguised in the styles of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Janacek, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Bartok, and Copland.

Includes an introduction by Fred Child, host of “Performance Today” as well as background info by Bruce Adolphe. “Bruce Adolphe has taken a common musician’s party game and elevated it to high art and truly funny musical slapsticks. The Piano Puzzlers are a unique combination of extraordinary insight into the styles of many composers subtle, expert workmanship and great, great fun!”

If you’re a music geek (like me), I have a program for you. Now, let me be clear, to fully qualify as a music geek…you must have a fond appreciation for classical music (no, Poison, Quiet Riot, and Zepplin do not count as classical music). So, if you’re a “music geek” without an appreciation for classical music…well, I hate to burst your bubble…but, you’re not truly a music geek. Instead, you’re a music appreciator, but not a geek. So, if you just listen to indie music and scowl at anything on a label larger than Matador…don’t bother following the link I’ll provide…the fun will be lost on you…And, you probably won’t have a chance.

Every Wednesday night, on my way home from WNL, I turn on my local NPR station to listen to Piano Puzzlers on Performance Today. It’s absolutely incredible. A pianist/composer (Bruce Adolphe) takes a familiar folk or pop tune and sets it inside a classical masterpiece (or in the style of a particular composer). Sometimes it’s easy…sometimes it’s ridiculously difficult. There are days when I say, “got it” on the first pass. Then there are days when I say, “what the heck?” And, more often than not, I’m able to get either the popular/folk tune or the composer.

This is sad to admit, but there are nights when I’ll slow down on the drive home or sit in the car in the driveway to finish an episode. In fact, I get a little worked up if someone stops me after WNL…as I might miss the beginning of Piano Puzzlers (it usually hits around 8:20pm on our local station).

Take a listen to some of the archives and see if you can figure it out! It’s really cool…but probably only appreciated by music geeks (the kind of people that listen to NPR for their musical programs and not just the snipets of cool indie rock between segments on All Things Considered…which is a great show too).

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The O'Connor Music Studio features fully functional parent/student portals. These are a great way to share information with you, save time, and add value to your lessons. The student portal provides you with...

I have ordered this book and CD combo for the music studio so parents can check it out to see if it would be useful for them to buy for home use. If any of the studio parents have this book already, please let me know what you think. Thanks! My copy came today and it looks fantastic. I am considering ordering some for the studio for parents. The list price i […]

O’Connor Music Studio provides Fairfax-area piano students with high-quality instruction tailored to suit individual needs and learning styles. The dedicated instructor brings over 40 years of teaching experience to every lesson.

With this concert-worthy duet setting of "Happy Birthday to You," pianists will delight audiences with inventive variations of the familiar tune. Some sections are driving and rhythmic, while others are inspired by Classical and Romantic styles. Powerful chords and brilliant octave passages create thrilling musical moments. Audiences will enjoy a n […]

From Day 4, Daily Listening Assignment ~ June 4. In 1778 at the age of twenty-two, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a set of twelve variations on the theme “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (better known to us as the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) for the piano.

Facts and trivia abound in this gentle expose of music history. From Bach's laundry lists to Handel's unexpected success in Italy, this provides a lively, involving format which treats musicians as human beings and which reads almost like an action novel in exploring their lives and approaches to music and its marketing.

There is no better way to introduce children to classical music than with Prokofiev’s musical fairy tale of the little boy (played by all the strings of the orchestra) who, with the help of a bird (played by the flute), outsmarted the big, bad wolf (played by the French horns). And now with this book and CD package, children can look and listen all at the sa […]

I have always respected Dr. Hinson's work and his music. We have several of his books at the O'Connor Music Studio and many are available for loan. If you are interested in buying any for yourself, amazon.com has a great selection.

Intermediate students are ready to explore the challenges of one-octave scales and arpeggios. More than a simple reference to scale fingerings and key signatures, this book presents valuable patterns that engage the ear and give musical meaning to scale degrees. By transposing these patterns and common chord progressions, students gain deep understanding in […]

Playing 5-finger scales has significant value for early-level pianists. This innovative book helps students chart progress through all major and minor 5-finger scales, cross-hand arpeggios, and primary chords. Engaging teacher duets for each key are used for scale exercises. Students also enjoy improvisation activities for each key with creative prompts to i […]

Looking for a fun and interesting way to get beginner pianists excited about music? Want a unique way to present music theory, sight reading, and writing notes? Wish it was all in one spot? Introducing Piano Cards: Level 1, a premium flashcard deck that helps students understand music and retain what they've learned. Our 28 progressive test cards build […]

Do you need help getting your kids to the keyboard? 101 Piano Practice Tips is an upbeat book full of practical tips to help your kids actually WANT to practice the piano. If you have elementary age children, you’ll appreciate categories such as “Creating a Great Environment” and “How to Encourage Good Quality Practice.” If you’re the parent of a teenager, y […]

Just what the titles says: 60 one-page quizzes on a variety of subjects related to beginning music theory and reading. Includes sections on "The Basics," "Rhythm," "Note Names," "Key Signatures," "Musical Symbols and Terms," "Time Signatures," "Keyboard Identification," and "Musical P […]

Tap dancing legends Fayard (b. 1914) and Harold (1918-2000) Nicholas amazed crowds with their performances in musicals and films from the 30s to the 80s. They performed with Gene Kelly in The Pirate, with Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather, with Dorothy Dandridge (Harold's wife) in Sun Valley Serenade, and with a number of other stars on the stage and on th […]

Carl Czerny, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven, who then taught Franz Liszt, combined his ability to analyze technique with his years of teaching experience to create exercises that increase the technical ability of the piano student. In this 80-page edition, his pieces systematically introduce notes of various time-values and other musical principles in sim […]

Self-expression knows no bounds with C920. Piano lessons on Skype or FaceTime in full HD 1080p or record vibrant true-to-life full HD 1080p video blogs. You can share, play your lessons live or record and share in high-definition 720p. Dual microphones ensure natural stereo sound, while a five-element glass lens and a precisely tuned autofocus allow you to b […]

Not content with having hilariously skewered the lives of great composers in Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, in If It Ain't Baroque musical humorist David W. Barber takes aim at their works as well. From symphonies to solo songs, from motets to madrigals to masses, Barber wittily yet informatively tells readers everything they need to know (and more!) abo […]